Pac-12 Championships Set To Begin in Seattle on Sunday

The Oregon women's golf team looks to claim its first conference crown in school history as the Ducks head up to Seattle to compete in the Pac-12 Championships beginning this Sunday, April 22.

There will be 10 other teams vying for the conference title in the Emerald City, including seven ranked opponents – No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 Stanford, No. 6 USC, No. 9 Arizona, No. 11 ASU, No. 15 Washington and No. 25 Colorado. Top-ranked UCLA enters Pac-12s as the defending champion after winning with a 2-under 862 last year.

With the Conference of Champions living up to its name, the Ducks understand that there is little room for error if they hope to be competitive in the talented field.

"The team is more ready than we've been all year," said head coach Ria Scott. "We've had some really great practices leading up to this event, and are looking forward to building on the strong finishes and momentum we've built over the past few tournaments."

Leading up to the conference tournament, the Ducks have experienced moments of excellence as a collective team, as well as individually. As a team, they recorded the second-lowest team score in school history with a 10-under 278 at the Westbrook Invitational. The Ducks also earned a season-best fifth place finish at the SunTrust Gator Invitational, where junior Petra Salko tied for fifth individually after shooting 2 over. Both junior Kathleen Scavo and freshman Alexis Phadungmartvorakul earned top-15 finishes at the Ping ASU Invitational and Silverado Showdown, respectively.

"[The underclassmen] are no stranger to big tournaments," Scott said. "They can lean on our veterans, Kathleen and Petra, who have had a lot of postseason success and have played on the teams the last two years that have competed for a national championship."

While there is experience in the Ducks' lineup, there are always a few aspects of postseason play that are hard to prepare for. To combat this, the Ducks have been closely mimicking the potential championship environment that will be present in Seattle by making live scoring prevalent during practices.

"Each of them approaches it differently," said Scott. "For example, for Kathleen Scavo, knowing the score status actually motivates her and gets her to buckle down. Other players need to stay focused on their process and routine."

This kind of preparation has served the Ducks well in previous Pac-12 Championships. In 2015, the Ducks shot a 6-over 858 to take second place – their best finish in tournament history. That year, Oregon also boasted the individual champion in Caroline Inglis, who recorded a terrific 7-under 206.

But, no year is like the previous one, and it is important that the Ducks approach this tournament as a clean slate, remembering that they belong there with some of the nation's most elite teams.

"We can talk up the meaning of these tournaments," Scott said. "But, in the end, what will really help us is taking each shot in front of us for what it is."